Need help on setting up the 8-zone irrigation system

5 years ago

Hello Irrigation experts!

I have recently moved into a new house (our first house) with a 8-zone irrigation system (with above-ground anti-siphon valves). 4 zones are located in the front yard connected to the main waterline. however, the other 4 zones are located in the backyard connected through the potable water pipe from the house, which is something i don't like. I want to separate the potable water line from the irrigation system and two optons i am considering are shown below.

Option 1 is connecting the main waterline to the valves in the backyard. advantage is that i don't have to relocate the valves. however, one concern is the PVC pipe going through a narrow pathway with a lot of trees (and roots). I am sure we can lay the pipe in, but my concern is whether growing roots will put a stress on the PVC pipe and eventually break it in the future, and i won't know if the pipe is broken (or leaking) until i get a huge water bill. I could perhaps install the flow sensor to detect the leak, but that's additional $500~$1000 investment (sensor and installation of power outlet outside).

Option 2 is relocating all the vales to the front yards. advantage is that less-catastrophic event in case a tree root interfering with the pipe because of the valves are ahead (so it would only leak when the valve is on as oppose to contious leaking). disadvantage is 4 pipes have to routed to the backyard instead of one main pipe.

Which route would you go with? Also, if there's an alternative route, I'd love to hear about it as well.

Featured Answer

PRO

MrHIrrigation

5 years ago

option 1 is your simplest fix, it's a matter of materials. While schedule 40 pvc is standard for main lines schedule 80 pvc is a more robust option but the root problem will most likely be 15 to 20 years down the road.

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Comments (6)

James Kim
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks MrHIrrigation!

I just found out that 4zone valves in the backyard is not from the pipe in the house (like illustrated below). main water pipe is actually splitted into two (one going into house and one going to the backyard faucet where valves are connected.

it brings me an option 3, which is connecting a separate backflow prenveter in front of backyard valves. that being said, i am not sure what kinds of complication i will have when there's two backflow preventer (one in front and one in back).
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PRO
MrHIrrigation
5 years ago
some things to consider, where is the tee splitting the irrigation from the house water and where is the existing backflow in relation to it. Also depending on local codes anti-siphon valves are considered adequate for backflow prevention.
James Kim
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you MrHIrrigation.
How can i find out if anti-siphon is adequate for backflow prevention? I live in San Jose, CA
PRO
MrHIrrigation
5 years ago
somebody in city hall should know which office handles building codes for your area.
Raviraj Sharma
3 years ago
1. Gather all the necessary materials and tools, including the irrigation controller, valves, pipes, and sprinklers. You can purchase every agricultural accessory from Automat World.
2. Plan out the layout of the zones, taking into consideration the different watering needs of each area.

3. Install the irrigation controller in a convenient location, making sure it is properly wired and connected to a power source.

4. Install the valves for each zone, connecting them to the main water supply and the controller.

5. Run the pipes from the valves to the sprinklers in each zone.

6. Test the system by turning on each zone individually and checking for leaks or other issues.

7. Adjust the watering schedule and control settings to suit the needs of each zone.

8. Regularly check and maintain the system to ensure its proper functioning and to fix any issues that may arise.

To know more about irrigation systems you can visit this link.